EFFECT OF SEED PHYSIOLOGICAL AND SANITARY QUALITY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF ONION SEEDLINGS

This research was developed during 1988, in the seed analysis laboratory of the Universidade Federal de Pelotas and in the fields of the EMBRAPA-CNPFT, Brazil. The objectives of this work were: to test the efficiency of the gravity table on onion seed separation from different quality seed batches, and to observe the influence of the physiological and sanitary quality of the seeds on the performance of seedlings. Seed batches of different quality were classified in a gravity table. The parameters observed in the laboratory were: germination, vigour, healthiness, and seed weight. The parameters observed in the field were: emergence, seedling vigour diameter, total number and wight. It was concluded that: a) the performance of the seed batches corresponded to the classification made previosly in the lab; b) the gravity table was efficient in separating seeds of different physiological and sanitary quality; c) heavier seeds produced a greater number of more vigourous seedlings; d) for high quality seed batches, using a four spout gravity table, there was no need to return the fraction 3 to the gravity table, since that fraction could be included in the fractions 1 and 2.